Harry was lounging in the living room of Grimmauld place reading a quidditch magazine and seeing how the teams were fairing. There were also advertisements for the new brooms in the markets: Nimbus 2004, Comet 790, Cleansweep 332, and most importantly, the Firebolt extreme which was going to be launched on September first.
The Firebolt Extreme Broom cost a fortune even if it was almost pocket change for Harry, considering his immense wealth. Though, he wasn't going to go around wasting money on a broom when he had a perfectly good one already. For the cost of a single Firebolt Extreme, he could likely supply the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team with Nimbus 2000s or even 2001s, which were much cheaper now as New Models had been launched in the market.
That was when the door of the house banged open. Harry immediately rushed into the hallway, with his wand in his hand only to Dumbeldore entering, looking enraged and actively controlling his temper.
"Sir, what happened?" Harry immediately asked.
"Please accompany me to your dueling room. I wish to blow off some steam." Dumbledore replied curtly. It was unlike him to sound so short. If the wards hadn't confirmed it was indeed Dumbledore, Harry would've attacked him by now.
But, still, Harry followed the headmaster into the basement, preparing himself for a fight. But instead, Dumbledore went for the dummies, destroying all of them with a single wave of his wand. The dummy started to repair themselves but Dumbledore hardly gave them time before attacking again with a multitude of spells. Powerful spells.
"Professor!" Harry exclaimed and the headmaster turned, his eyes glowing violently with storms of power. Harry could feel his magic saturating the air. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the occupants of the house rush into the viewer's gallery. They would've come in but the wards were already up around the room.
"Duel me, sir," Harry said. "Let us have a dueling match."
"Time limit?" Dumbledore asked.
"Seven Minutes," Harry said, hoping it would be enough time for Dumbledore to blow his steam off.
Harry flicked his wand and the timer was set.
"WHAT ARE YOU BOTH DOING!?" Mrs. Weasley shrieked but both men ignored her.
"Are you ready?" Dumbledore asked and Harry nodded.
A moment later, the Headmaster sprung into action and so did Harry.
Their first spells crashed perfectly into each other before ricocheting off each other, onto the shield around the room.
Harry ducked under a Bludgeoner and swatted aside a blasting curse before responding by slashing his wand. A bolt of lightning shot towards the Headmaster who flicked his wand, redirecting the thunder onto the shield before jabbing his wand in Harry's direction while leaning out of the way of a bonebreaker that would've hit his wand arm.
Three fireballs shot forth from the death stick towards Harry who moved his wand in a circle before slashing it downwards.
The fireballs that were coming towards him, stopped in their tracks before forming a wall of fire, burning the dozen arrows Dumbledore had shot at him to ashes before the wall turned into a fire whip and attacked Dumbledore who merely extinguished the fire whip before responding with a cutting curse and a blasting curse, both of which Harry dodged and responded with a series of blasting curses.
Dumbledore pointed his wand at the ground and a small chunk of the dueling platform ripped out and floated before breaking into multiple smaller pieces which proceeded to expand from the size of a pebble to that of a football before intercepting the blasting curses and orbiting around Dumbledore.
The most impressive part was that even as the rocks were blasted apart, they stayed in orbit around Dumbledore and didn't hit him like one would've expected.
With the smallest movement of Dumbledore's wand, a cluster of pieces turned into metal spikes before shooting towards Harry who jabbed his wand, transfiguring them into birds which went to attack Dumbledore.
Dumbledore shot a severing curse, massacring the birds which were about to attack him before flicking his wand again. Two huge rocks raced towards Harry converting into leopards in mid-air before pouncing at him.
Harry reacted fast and reversed the transfiguration, turning the animals into rocks and a moment later, he hissed before rolling out of the way of a barrage of stunners and disarmers.
The Rocks were blasted to multiple pieces as his spell hit them before each glowed and converted into snakes which slithered towards the Headmaster.
Dumbledore once again shot a severing curse, trying to decapitate the snakes but the spell bounced off their skin. Dumbledore's eyes narrowed before he tried to vanish the snakes, only to fail again. He growled in frustration before a stream of flames shot from his wand while simultaneously, the rocks intercepted Harry's barrage of spells that ranged from simple jinxes to bone-breakers and powerful blasting spells.
The flames successfully burnt the snakes to ashes, leaving a charred ground. Dumbledore finally slashed his wand and all the pieces of rubble orbiting him shot towards Harry whose eyes widened before he erected a dome shield around himself. The rocks harmlessly bounced off the shield.
As soon as the barrage stopped, Harry jabbed his wand upwards and the dome exploded into a shockwave in all directions, sending the Headmaster flying.
As the man was about to hit the hard, unforgiving ground, the mattress appeared which safely caught the headmaster who deftly rolled to his feet before shielding against Harry's barrage of curses. A second later, Harry animated the mattress which was lying near Dumbledore's feet.
The said mattress leaped into the air before shooting towards Dumbledore who vanished the mattress with another movement of his wand. The headmaster proceeded to swing his wand like a lasso as Harry battered his mage shield with his powerful spells.
Just as the shield broke, the pieces of rubble around the room flew into the center and assembled themselves into the shape of a golem that ran towards Harry.
Harry gathered the magic in the room before slashing his wand downward and a humongous bolt of lightning shot from his wand, destroying the golem to dust.
A second later, Harry rolled out of the way as another barrage of stunners and less harmful spells which would take him out of the fight while not injuring him, flew above his head.
He hastily erected a shield, stopping the next few spells. It shattered with a well-placed shield breaker before a Bludgeoning curse rushed towards Harry's left shoulder.
Dumbledore thought he had scored a hit until Harry batted the spell away with a silver shield that appeared over his left forearm. A reverberating gong sounded as the spell hit the silver shield.
Harry moved his wand in a triangular motion and three powerful blasting spells shot from it. Dumbledore erected a full body shield and the spell hit it with another gong and reverberated off it in different directions.
Dumbledore dropped the shield but before he could do anything, a ringing voice sounded, signifying the end of the time limit.
Both the wizards lowered their wands. The silver shield on Harry's forearm dissipated as well.
The room looked like a war zone with deep scorch marks around. The air smelled of ozone and dust. Both the combatants were breathing harshly. A moment later Dumbledore flicked his wand, conjuring a soft mattress on the floor before dropping on it.
"Professor, what happened?" Harry asked softly as the shields around the room dropped and everyone rushed in.
"Cornelius… he is interfering at Hogwarts bringing in his crony as the Defense against the dark arts professor," Dumbledore all but growled.
"Who is it, headmaster? The new DADA teacher?"
"Dolores Umbridge," Dumbledore spat.
"The toad-faced, good for nothing undersecretary who has a permanent need of cough drops?" Harry asked.
Dumbledore's lips briefly quivered before he nodded grimly. "I don't know what that vile woman is being sent to do, but she is at least going to undermine our authority, Harry. Prove that we are off-our-rocker and lying to spread panic... The same propaganda that the Daily Prophet has been doing."
"I would like to see her try," Harry snorted. "And if she does, I'll show her exactly why Lord Voldemort fears us… at least me, cause I will be the one doing it." Harry added thoughtfully knowing Dumbledore won't go to extremes of torturing the vile toad.
"I do not wish for her to be in school," Dumbledore growled. "Let alone allowing her to try anything."
"Of course, alternatively an accident can befell her the first night in the castle but, the problem is—"
"If she dies, we will be the first one blamed. I know." Dumbledore finished Harry's sentence. "That is why I am enraged. I won't allow her to be near children. She is as vile as the Death Eaters… perhaps even worse."
"So, what should we do?" Harry asked. "We can have her assassinated in the ministry perhaps."
"Cornelius is waiting for a chance to put us under the bus. He is gathering every resource he has to undermine us. He has spent Galleons like knuts to cement his influence. Dolores Umbridge is coming to Hogwarts to control the school. It is her most important objective if I am to guess along with undermining my authority and trying to expel you and, if possible, get you out of the way so to speak."
"So… what should we do then?" Harry asked. "If we aren't murdering her, then what? Oh, wait… imperious…" Harry said as a light bulb went off in his head.
"Cornelius would take precautions against that as well, Harry. The imperious is pretty easy to detect. And if it comes out that we used an unforgivable… Fudge is going to have us kissed." Dumbledore sighed. "Cornelius is waiting for the smallest transgressions to put us in Azkaban… or out of his way… forever. We cannot take any risks in such a situation."
"Then what?" Harry snapped.
"I don't think there is something we can do without resorting to criminal activities, Harry. So, the best I'll do is urge you all to be cautious." Dumbledore said to all the Hogwarts students around. "Do not take risks around her and keep your interactions with her minimal. You, Harry, will drop DADA and give your NEWT exams. I hardly think there is a thing that Dolores Umbridge can teach you that a flobberworm can't."
"She can't be that bad," Hermione muttered.
"She got a Troll in her OWL DADA as far as I remember. But, Cornelius has forged her records to show she got an E in her NEWTS… a subject which she didn't even take." Dumbledore replied. "And due to a lack of candidates, there was hardly anything I could do."
Hermione gaped. "So, what are we supposed to do!? It is our OWL year, Headmaster!"
"Ms. Granger, I sincerely doubt that you would have any trouble passing on your own regardless of the person who teaches you. And, Harry can teach you anything that is needed for you to ace your OWLs. So…"
"What of the other students though, Dumbledore?" Andromeda asked. "Not everyone is as capable as Ms. Granger or has someone like Mr. Potter to teach them."
Suddenly Dumbledore grinned widely. "Thank you for the brilliant idea, Andromeda, my dear."
"Excuse me?"
"By your statement, a brilliant idea has come to my mind. While not ideal, it is the best we can use at the moment without breaking any laws."
"What are you trying to say, Headmaster?"
"Unity in the face of oppression," He replied. "Harry, under the guise of teaching DADA to students due to a pathetic teacher, I wish for you to unite Hogwarts."
There was silence for a moment before Harry raised an eyebrow and said, "Isn't Fudge under the impression that you wish to overthrow the ministry? This will look like a direct attempt to form an army of students to overthrow him."
"But he can't silence everyone in the army. You have to understand this, Harry. If Cornelius tells that it was an attempt to form an army to overthrow the ministry, the parents will question their wards and come to know that they just wished to learn DADA due to the pathetic teacher the ministry had provided. Immediately, all will be laid bare and Fudge will be fending off hundreds of angry parents. And, if someone gives an interview stating that the ministry wishes to weaken the wizards and it is a conspiracy to turn the wizarding world into a dictatorship under Cornelius Fudge…"
"Fudge would be mob lynched," Harry said in realization. "And so will his undersecretary."
"Precisely." Dumbledore agreed.
Everyone in the room was watching the interaction like a tennis match.
"Can you give us two a few minutes? I wish to talk with Dumbledore in private." Harry told them and they went out after a few mutters.
Harry turned to Dumbledore who had gotten back to his feet and vanished the mattress.
"It is not a foolproof plan," Harry stated.
"No plan can be fully foolproof, Harry."
"This is a shit plan."
"It is the best we can do while in the confines of the law. Study groups are not banned. If things go completely south, I am pretty sure we can overthrow the ministry by force."
"But when Fudge comes for us, he'll come with an Army of Aurors and hit-wizards when we aren't expecting it," Harry argued.
"Obviously. But, we have something they don't. Phoenixes. If needed, we can escape with our Phoenixes by flaming out. As simple as that." Dumbledore said. "After that, we overthrow the ministry or follow with our old plan of exposing Voldemort and regaining our positions. It is imperative that you keep your cloak and wand with you at all times this year."
"I always do, sir."
"If it comes to the push, we will become fugitives for a short time. We both know we are fighting a two-way war at the moment. If needed, we will crush the ministry before continuing with Voldemort."
"You know, you are well onto your way of becoming a Dark Lord and you're going to take me with you down that line."
"History is written by the victors, Harry. If Grindelwald would've won all those years ago, I would've gone down as a dark Lord who tried to oppose the greater good policy of the Great Gellert Grindelwald."
"Well, you aren't wrong."
"My point exactly. Be ready for a roller coaster of a year, Harry. Because it can be the defining year of your life."
"You know, Dark Lord Potter does have a great ring to it. Better than Dark Lord Dumbledore, at least."
The headmaster chuckled in response.
19th August 1995
12 Grimmauld Place, London
"Confringo!" Hermione yelled, shooting a blasting curse at Susan who swatted the spell aside before launching a volley of stunners and cutting curses at her.
Hermione immediately jabbed her wand, erecting a shield, stopping the barrage, but it held only for a few moments before she had to dive out of the way as the shield shattered with a well-placed reductor curse from Susan.
Hermione rolled to her feet before shooting a Lacero curse at the Bones Heiress who leaned out of the way, allowing the spell to pass harmlessly before jabbing her wand and sending a fireball at Hermione whose eyes widened and she erected a protego again to stop the spell before hitting the dirt as the fireball easily shattered her shield and continued on its path.
The fireball flew over her but, unfortunately for Hermione, Susan had anticipated the move and shot a stunner which hit Hermione, knocking her out cold.
The shields around the room went down and Harry walked in as Susan enervated Hermione who groggily opened her eyes before groaning.
"I lost… again." She muttered looking at the ceiling.
"But you are improving and that's what matters," Harry said, before helping her up. "Tell me, what mistake did you make?"
"I forgot that a normal Protego shield can't stop elemental spells." She said.
"And?"
"I should've dodged instead of relying on a shield." She sighed.
"Precisely. So you need to practice dodging. Both of you, rest for five minutes. After that, Susan, you pair up with Cedric and Hermione, you are with Neville." Harry said, gesturing to the two boys who were sitting in the 'viewing room' as they had named it, looking tired.
Cedric and Neville had dueled a few minutes ago the duel had lasted quite a while before Cedric had won.
Cedric was a good duelist but Neville was proving to be a powerhouse… a far cry from a near-squib that people assumed him to be. He was progressing at an astonishing pace. Harry was sure that Neville could not outduel anyone in Hogwarts below the sixth-year bar Susan, Daphne, and himself. Harry could now easily believe why Neville could've been the prophesied child.
Before Harry could call Ron and Astoria, who were the bottom two of their group to duel, a knock sounded. Harry waved his hand and the door opened to reveal Molly Weasley standing outside.
"Harry dear, you've got mail from the Ministry…. It just came through the mailbox and Sirius gave it to me to give it to you."
Harry raised an eyebrow before taking the letter from Mrs. Weasley. He tore open the ministry seal on it and unfolded the parchment inside before reading the contents.
ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULT
Special Grades
Outstanding plus(O+)- for candidates scoring more than 100% in a field
Pass Grades
Outstanding(O)
Exceeds Expectation(E)
Average(A)
Fail Grades
Poor(P)
Dreadful(D)
Troll(T)
Harry James Potter has achieved:
Astronomy- Overall: O Theory: O Practicals: O
Ancient Runes- Overall: O+ Theory: O+ Practicals: O+*
Arithmancy- Overall: O+ Theory: O+ Practicals: NA
Care of Magical Creatures- Overall: O Theory: O Practicals: O
Charms- Overall: O+* Theory: O+ Practicals: O+*
Defense Against the Dark Arts- Overall: O+* Theory: O+* Practicals: O+*
Herbology- Overall: O Theory: O Practicals: O
History of Magic- Overall: O Theory: O Practicals: NA
Potions- Overall: O+ Theory: O+ Practicals: O+
Transfiguration- - Overall: O+* Theory: O+* Practicals: O+*
(*) symbol signifies that the marks have been the highest in the recorded history of the Examination.
Harry smiled faintly before putting the letter back in the envelope, making a mental note to make a few copies of the result. OWL results were important. Also, he needed to present them to Gringotts when he claimed the Lordship of House Potter.
"What's that, Harry?" Daphne asked.
"My OWL results," Harry replied.
"Ooh, can I see it? I have never seen an OWL result." Astoria asked excitedly and her sister raised an eyebrow.
"I have never seen an OWL result," Daphne mocked. "That's the best you could come up with, midget?"
Astoria stuck her tongue out in response before turning to Harry and giving him puppy dog eyes.
"Please Harry," she requested.
Before Harry could say anything, Hermione had walked up to him and plucked the result out of his hands.
"Oi!"
Hermione ignored Harry's protest and opened the result.
"How did you do, Harry?" Cedric asked.
"Pretty decently," Harry replied with a shrug.
"Decently?" Hermione asked incredulously. "If you say this is decent, I don't know what your bloody excellence will be then."
"What happened?" Susan asked.
"See for yourself," Hermione said before pointing her wand at the parchment and jabbing it.
A second later, an image of Harry's result was projected in the air in a holographic form.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. "Straight O's."
"I am more impressed by the fact that Harry broke so many records." Neville piped up.
"One, two, three…. Fucking hell. Nine records. And highest ever in Charms, Transfiguration, and DADA overall. Damn." Daphne grumbled.
"Who has the record of the highest in charms theory, I wonder…" Hermione mused pointing at the missing asterisk next to the O+ charms theory.
"Lily Evans," A squeaky voice piped up from the doorway. Harry turned and saw Flitwick, Dumbledore, and McGonagall standing there. "Lily Evans holds the record for the highest achieved score in Charms Theory for OWL exams. Why do you ask, Miss Granger?"
In response, Hermione turned the Holographic image towards them, showing them Harry's OWL results.
"Oh my," McGonagall whispered. "This is phenomenal."
"Unbelievable," Flitwick breathed. "This is the highest result I have ever seen…"
"Most impressive results, Harry," Dumbledore beamed. "You even broke my record for Ancient Runes Practical and Transfiguration."
"Thank you, professors," Harry replied, suppressing a blush. "Sir, you said that my mother holds the highest in charms theory…"
"Of course. She was the most brilliant student I've taught charms to… only surpassed by you now. What did you do in the practicals to get such high marks, Harry?"
"Ah, they told me to show them two charms of my choosing. I showed them the Patronus and fidelius charm." Harry shrugged nonchalantly.
"Impressive, Potter," McGonagall said. "Then, I'll expect to see you in my NEWT classes this year. You're not dropping transfiguration when you broke all the records in the subject."
"Wouldn't dream of it, Professor."
"Good. So, anyway, we're here to give you all your Hogwarts Book Lists and instructions for Mr. Potter for the sixth year. It is unprecedented that a student has skipped a whole year in all the subjects. So, Potter, a word after this if you please."
"Of course, Professor McGonagall."
McGonagall smiled before removing a stack of Letters from her pocket and handing them to everyone except Harry.
Harry meanwhile waited, tapping his foot impatiently and absent-mindedly putting the room back in order, knowing there won't be any more practice for the day.
"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Fred.
Ron did not answer. Harry looked around. Ron was standing very still with his mouth slightly open, gaping at his letter from Hogwarts.
"What's the matter?" said Fred impatiently, moving around Ron to look over his shoulder at the parchment. Fred's mouth fell open too. "Prefect?" he said, staring incredulously at the letter.
"Prefect?" George leaped forward, seized the envelope in Ron's other hand, and turned it upside down. Harry saw something scarlet and gold fall into George's palm.
"No way," said George in a hushed voice.
"There's been a mistake," said Fred, snatching the letter out of Ron's grasp and holding it up to the light as though checking for a watermark. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect..."
The twins' heads turned in unison and both of them stared at Harry.
"We thought you would get it!" They said in unison.
Harry ignored the flash of resentment in his mind and shrugged nonchalantly before stating, "I have enough on my plate as it is. And I don't care about a school position."
A part of his mind said, Liar.
He ignored it. He may not have actively desired the position… heck, he didn't even remember that prefects were chosen in the fifth year. But, that didn't mean that he didn't feel bad about not getting the position.
Suddenly Susan and Daphne squealed while Hermione too let out a high pitch whoop. They all had Prefect batches in their hands. Cedric had one in his hand too… The Head Boy batch.
Harry suppressed his emotions through Occlumency. Damn it. Why was he feeling like this? It was just a stupid position.
Someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Harry turned and saw it was Dumbledore who gestured to him to come with him to a corner of the room. Harry did as he asked and moved out of the earshot of the group.
"You're wondering why you aren't a prefect," Dumbledore stated. It wasn't a question.
Harry took a deep breath and said, "I do… it is…"
"Unfair for someone as worthy as you to not receive something as trivial as a badge and a school position. You, the person whose magical knowledge and power are unmatched by any other student in the castle. You who went toe to toe with the most dangerous dark lord and came out on top."
Harry pursed his lips before nodding.
"You know, even I wasn't a Prefect… even if I was later the head boy," Dumbledore said. "And the reason for my rejection was much worse than yours."
"Why weren't you chosen, sir?"
"I nearly burnt my dormitory down in a fit of adolescent rage. It was fortunate that no other student was severely injured. But, my Head of House was enraged. So, I didn't get the position. You, on the other hand, aren't getting the badge, neither will you get the head boy badge on a technicality."
"Technicality?"
"You would've finished Hogwarts by this time next year, Harry. Your NEWT results would be in your hands. It is pointless for you to achieve the position if you are going to be an official Hogwarts student for only a single year. It is an unfortunate side-effect of skipping two whole years."
Harry frowned. "You wish for me to give my NEWTS this year when my friends are giving their OWLs?"
"Yes. And after that, you shall apprentice under me for the next two years and get a mastery."
"Apprenticeship?" Harry asked, his mouth dry.
"Yes. By the time your batch finishes Hogwarts, you shall be a fully qualified wizard and proficient enough to get a job at Hogwarts as a professor if you wish to."
"I… am not sure what to do, sir. After Hogwarts, I mean."
"That is what Minerva will speak to you about. Oh, and after Minerva finishes talking with you, I'll be taking you to Gringotts to get your position as Lord Potter."
Harry's eyes widened remembering that he had fulfilled all required conditions for his early ascension to Lord Potter.
This was turning out to be an important day full of ups and downs.
19th August 1995
Diagon Alley, London
Sirius, Harry, and Dumbledore appeared in the fireplace of the Leaky Cauldron in a flash of green flames before stepping out gracefully. Thankfully, no one paid them any heed as they were under glamor charms and a notice-me-not charm.
They walked to the backroom of the Leaky Cauldron where Dumbledore removed his wand and tapped the bricks, opening the entrance to Diagon Alley.
The Alley was still as glamorous as Harry had remembered it from the first time he had visited. The afternoon sun shone brightly on the whole alley, giving it a lively feel. People were running around going through their daily schedules. Harry could even see a few Hogwarts students moving around doing their shopping for the new school year.
Harry drank in the sight of the Alley, knowing it may never be the same again once Voldemort came out in the open. How many businesses would be shut down, how many families would be destroyed… no one knew.
The three walked to the prominent snowy-white building which towered over the other little shops. Gringotts.
The goblins outside bowed as they walked inside. Harry smiled briefly at the poem engraved beside the silver door before pushing them open, as he dropped his glamor charm but kept the notice-me-not charm active. Dumbledore and Sirius did the same beside him.
They walked through the marble hall towards the nearest teller.
"Good Afternoon," Harry greeted. "May your enemies fall and your gold overflow."
"May your gold overflow and your enemies fall, wizard. How may I help you?"
"I and my companions wish to meet with the Potter Family's account manager, Ragnok."
"You need to show—" The goblin stopped short as Harry showed him his heir ring. "Very well, wizard. Skull crusher, take them to Ragnok."
A Goblin came forward before leading them to the Potter accounts manager.
They knocked and entered the office where Ragnok looked up. "Heir Potter, Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black. May your enemies fall and your gold overflow. What service do you want from me on this fine day?"
"May your gold overflow and your enemies fall, Ragnok," Harry greeted back. "As for the reason for our visit, I want to ascend to the positionṣ of Lord Potter."
Ragnok raised an eyebrow. "By the laws of your ministry, you cannot ascend to the position of Lord Potter until you are seventeen years of age. This is regardless of the fact that you're the last living member of House Potter."
"That would be the case had the Wizengamot Lordship Ascension Amendment of 1673 not passed for the last surviving heirs of the Sacred Twenty-Eight," Dumbledore replied. "According to which, if a last surviving member of a house which is a part of the Sacred Twenty-eight, and fulfills certain conditions, they are eligible to ascend to the position of Lordship."
Ragnok raised an eyebrow. "I will have to check it with the Gringotts legal team then. This is unprecedented… At least I have never heard of such a thing. So, I will consult with the legal team of Gringotts and confirm that we aren't breaking another policy that your ministry has leveled upon us."
"Sure," Dumbledore said.
"You all please wait till then. Refreshments will be served shortly," Ragnok said before walking out of the office.
The party of three waited in silence while sipping some beverages and reading a magazine in Dumbledore's case.
Nearly twenty minutes later, Ragnok came back followed by two other goblins dressed in tailored suits as compared to the normal Gringotts uniform.
"What you say is indeed correct. Your ministry has passed the law and given Gringotts the right to check the applicant's qualification. But, if those are found to be false, actions would be taken against the bank ranging from a simple fine to harsh penalties. So, we wish for you to provide all these documents listed here." Ragnok said, handing Harry a list. "Then we'll check their authentication."
"Fair enough," Harry replied before reading the list. He checked that he almost had everything. Almost.
"I do not have a birth certificate with me, Ragnok," Harry said. "I have the rest, though."
"A birth certificate is needed to ensure that you are indeed born as a Potter and not adopted through an adoption ritual. Only those born of blood in the family are eligible for this… Exception."
"Sirius… where is my birth certificate?" Harry asked.
"Err… I have no idea."
"Will a copy do, if we don't have the original?" Dumbledore asked all of a sudden.
"Yes," Ragnok replied. "As long as it is not faked, and mind you, it will be cross-checked."
"Of course," Dumbledore nodded.
"Sir, where are you getting the copy from?"
"Hogwarts. Your name has been down in our registry since birth. We need a Birth certificate of the student before we give admission. Lily and James had submitted it when you were barely a few months old. I'll go and get it. Can I use the floo?"
"Yes, if you pay three knuts for it," Ragnok replied without missing a beat. Dumbledore nodded before going to Hogwarts while Harry and Sirius waited. Ten minutes later, he was back with the required certificate and they submitted the documents.
The two suited goblins came ahead and began to examine the documents while giving Harry a form to fill along with the necessary writing equipment. It took barely five minutes for Harry to fill the form which Ragnok took and read through to confirm there were no discrepancies.
It took another fifteen minutes for the goblins to go through all the necessary documents. They filled a form themselves before handing it to the three wizards present.
"We all will be signing our names on this. But we need one more person as a witness. A wizard or witch." One of the suited Goblins said.
"I'll call one of our curse-breakers here to act as a witness if you wish," Ragnok said.
"I don't see a problem with it," Sirius replied.
"Wonderful," He said before pressing his hand on a device next to his desk and speaking into it in Goblin tongue.
A few minutes later, a knock sounded on the door and a Lady with auburn hair and blue eyes entered. She was dressed in work robes with her hair tied in a bun with a few loose strands hanging down her face.
She froze as she saw the occupants of the room. "H-headmaster D-Dumbledore, H-Harry Potter, Sirius Black." She stuttered. "Err… Hello. You may know me. I am Dorothea. Dorothea Starkey. I was there for the second task of the tournament. I checked yours, Mr. Potter. Do you remember me?" She asked hopefully
Harry gave her his political smile. "Of course I do, Ms. Starkey. And I am afraid I am in need of your help."
Her eyes lit up. "How can I help you, Mr. Potter?"
"Ms. Starkey. You've been called here to act as a witness to the accession of Harry Potter to his position as Lord Potter, two years earlier than the normal protocol. You will need to sign your name on this document after each one of us signs. Do you consent to act as a witness, Ms. Starkey?" One of the suited Goblins asked.
"Of course!"
"Excellent. First, Mr. Potter, sign here with this quill. It is a blood quill so it might be a touch uncomfortable." The suited Goblin instructed again, providing Harry a quill. Harry grimaced before taking it and signing his name with a flourish on the indicated place ignoring the mild itching on the back of his hands.
"Lord Black, sign here." He said, giving the document and the quill to Sirius who repeated Harry's actions. Finally, the suited goblin himself signed the document which glowed golden for a brief moment.
"It is official. Harry Potter can ascend to Lord Potter legally now." The Goblin declared. "You need to wear the Potter ring to finish the process." He added.
Ragnok took out a box and opened it before presenting it to Harry. "Wear this and you will officially be Lord Potter."
Harry sucked in a breath at the ring in the box. The Lord Ring of House Potter. His legacy.
It was a simple Mithril band with the top having the Potter crest, with Rubies for the eyes of the dragon. It was similar to the Heir ring, just with more grandeur. Along the band of the ring, the Potter Family motto was carved. Novissima Autem Inimica Destruetor Mors
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is Death.
Harry removed the Potter Heir ring from his finger before picking up the Lord Ring from the box and slowly sliding it onto his pinky finger. The ring suddenly resized and glowed as Harry's mind was filled with information on various properties around the world. He was instantly the master of wards of the properties.
He opened his eyes which were glowing a brilliant shade of emerald. A second later the magic settled. There was silence in the room for a moment before Dorothea clapped. When no one joined her, she stopped, looking embarrassed.
"Congratulations, Lord Potter," Ragnok declared.
"Thank you," Harry said with a nod.
"Now, you're officially Lord Potter. Mr. Dumbledore, Ms. Starkey, I would request you both to sign the witness column here." The suited goblin said and the two signed their names as witnesses. Then the other suited goblin and Ragnok did the same.
The document glowed brilliantly again before duplicating itself.
"It is official. Welcome back, Lord Potter."
1st September 1995
12 Grimmauld Place, London
Standing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place, Harry resisted the urge to bang his head on the wall that he was leaning upon. The Weasleys were running around in chaos, getting ready for Hogwarts.
Mrs. Weasley was hollering for the kids to get ready while the kids were still running around searching for their things. It had only worsened when Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall.
Mrs. Weasley had gone ballistic and yelled at the twins so loudly that Harry was sure that the glass windows had rattled.
"Ginny, are you alright?" Hermione asked as the girl came and stood beside them.
"Okay. Mom patched me up." She replied.
"Come here," Harry called and Ginny walked to him. Harry waved his wand on her head before hissing and tapping it on her forehead.
Ginny shivered as she heard the Parseltongue chant before sighing in relief.
"What was that?"
"A Parselmagic healing spell," Harry replied. "Rather effective for smaller injuries."
She nodded before thanking him and sitting down on her trunk. Harry's trunk was in his pocket, shrunk down and perfectly safe. Harry had also added wards including a blood magic ward to secure his trunk this year.
Better be safe than sorry. His most important possessions were either with him at all times or in the Chamber of Secrets. But, his trunk did have a few important books that he was yet to read and his firebolt.
He had no idea of what he might face this year.
The Prophet had dragged his and Dumbledore's names through the mud throughout the summer. Harry had no doubt that many would think him to be a lunatic attention seeker and outright call him a liar. Harry, though, would just wait till Voldemort was revealed before rubbing it in all their faces.
"Where is PODMORE!" A voice roared, startling Harry.
"What's got Moody's panties in a twist?" Ginny asked.
"They are arranging a guard for us. To take us to King's cross." Harry said with a roll of his eyes. It had been decided in the last Order meeting that a guard of people would accompany them to King's Cross for safety. Harry had naturally called the idea a waste of time but he had been outvoted in the end by the other members.
"It was Mad-eye's idea," Harry added.
"It is most like him," said Hermione distractedly, looking at her watch. "But if we don't leave soon we're definitely going to miss the train..."
"You know that we all can apparate, right?" Harry whispered with amusement.
"The adults don't. You taught us illegally Harry. And to be used in emergencies."
"Missing the train does count as one," Harry retorted and Hermione huffed.
"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed.
"Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks," shouted Mrs. Weasley needlessly. Harry rolled his eyes again. If an attack happened, he would be the one protecting them and not the other way round, given Voldemort showed up… which seemed unlikely.
"Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal with the luggage… Oh, for heaven's sake, HURRY UP!" Mrs. Weasley shouted again, rattling Harry's eardrums.
Harry just sighed before falling her out.
1st September 1995
Hogwarts Express
Harry sat leisurely in the last compartment of the Hogwarts express, reading a book on the basics of Alchemy, a subject Salazar and Helga had recently started teaching him. It was a rather advanced book and Harry could understand why Alchemy as a subject was so rarely pursued.
With him, Neville, Luna, and Ginny were sitting. Neville was fiddling with his new plant, Mimbulus mimbletonia. Luna was reading the Quibbler upside down. And Ginny was reading her potions book.
Ron, Hermione, Susan, Daphne, and Cedric were in the prefect's meeting. Astoria was with her Slytherin Friends.
They did not turn up for nearly an hour, by which time the food trolley had already gone by. Harry, Ginny, and Neville had finished their Pumpkin Pasties and were busy swapping Chocolate Frog cards when the compartment door slid open and they walked in, accompanied by Crookshanks and a shrilly hooting Pigwidgeon in his cage.
"I'm starving," declared Ron, grabbing a Chocolate Frog from Harry and throwing himself into the seat next to him. He ripped open the wrapper, bit off the Frog's head, and leaned back with his eyes closed as though he had had a very exhausting morning.
"Well, there are two fifth-year prefects from each House," said Hermione, looking thoroughly disgruntled as she took her seat. "Boy and girl from each."
"And guess who's a Slytherin prefect?" said Ron, still with his eyes closed.
"Malfoy," replied Harry, already knowing the answer. Snape had insisted.
"Course," said Ron bitterly, stuffing the rest of the Frog into his mouth and taking another.
"Who's Hufflepuff?" Neville asked.
"Ernie Macmillan and Susan," said Ron thickly.
"And Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil for Ravenclaw," said Hermione.
"Cedric is the Head Boy with a girl from Slytherin as the head girl," Ron said.
"Elizabeth Grace," Hermione said with distaste. "There was an Edward Grace who got off with the imperious excuse as far as I remember."
"One of her distant uncles," Harry replied.
"Why would Dumbledore make a possible Death Eater the Head Girl?"
"She is the top student in her year besides Diggory," Harry replied. "Dumbledore cannot show bias especially when someone is deserving. Don't worry, I'll deal with her tonight."
"Deal with her?" Susan asked.
"I am going to give a message. To the Slytherin House."
1st September 1995
Hogwarts Great Hall
Harry sat on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall tapping his fingers on the table impatiently as the first-year students were sorted. The sorting hat had just given a rather ominous song, urging the school to unite in the face of danger and adversity.
Its last two paragraphs echoed in Harry's mind.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our, Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you.
Let the Sorting now begin!
The warning was absolutely true. Hogwarts was in danger from two external deadly foes: Lord Voldemort and the Ministry of magic.
And it had reiterated what Dumbledore wished for Harry to do. Unite the school.
Harry just had to wait for Umbridge to start throwing around her weight. Start her reign of oppression. Then Harry would strike in the shadows, bringing the school together and preparing the students to face what was to come. He had given instructions to everyone in his group on what to do and what not to do.
He knew this year was going to be a difficult one. At least the first term if they revealed Voldemort during Christmas as they were planning… it wasn't finalized yet but the plan was being made. So far, it was simple. Harry and Dumbledore would walk into the ministry during Christmas when most ministry workers were going to be on holiday and go to the Department of Mysteries in plain sight of Voldemort's spy. Pick up the prophecy, something they were going to instruct Croaker to change, placing a fake orb in exchange for the original.
They would pick it up and go out where the Death Eaters would be waiting to get the prophecy with, hopefully, Lord Voldemort himself.
Harry was broken out of his thoughts as Dumbledore stood up.
"To our newcomers," said Dumbledore in a ringing voice, his arms stretched wide and a beaming smile on his lips, "welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech-making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"
There was an appreciative laugh and an outbreak of applause as Dumbledore sat down neatly and threw his long beard over his shoulder so as to keep it out of the way of his plate — for food had appeared out of nowhere, so that the five long tables were groaning under joints and pies and dishes of vegetables, bread, sauces, and flagons of pumpkin juice.
"Excellent," said Ron, with a kind of groan of longing, and he seized the nearest plate of chops and began piling them onto his plate, watched wistfully by Nearly Headless Nick.
Harry himself dug in, taking a plate of mashed potatoes and gravy. No need to waste a perfectly good feast by worrying about what was to come.
When all the students had finished eating and the noise level in the hall was starting to creep upward again, Dumbledore got to his feet once more. Talking ceased immediately as all turned to face the headmaster.
"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," said Dumbledore. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too," Dumbledore said, looking around.
"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door."
Harry rolled his eyes at that announcement. He was pretty sure that no one except the Weasley twins had ever checked that list.
"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."
There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause during which Harry just remained still, not even bothering to clap.
Dumbledore continued, "Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"
He suddenly broke off, looking inquiringly at Professor Umbridge. As she was not much taller standing than sitting, there was a moment when nobody understood why Dumbledore had stopped talking, but then Professor Umbridge said, "Hem, hem," and it became clear that she had got to her feet and was intending to make a speech.
Dumbledore only looked taken aback for a moment, then he sat back down smartly and looked alertly at Professor Umbridge as though he desired nothing better than to listen to her talk.
Other members of staff were not as adept at hiding their surprise. Professor Sprout's eyebrows had disappeared into her flyaway hair, and Professor McGonagall's mouth was as thin as Harry had ever seen it. No new teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before.
Many of the students were smirking; this woman obviously did not know how things were done at Hogwarts.
"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered, "for those kind words of welcome."
Her voice was high-pitched, breathy, and little-girlish and again, Harry felt a powerful rush of dislike that he could not explain to himself; all he knew was that he loathed everything about her, from her stupid voice to her fluffy pink cardigan.
She gave another little throat clearing cough ("Hem, hem") and continued: "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" She smiled, revealing very pointed teeth. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"
Harry glanced around. None of the faces he could see looked happy; on the contrary, they all looked rather taken aback at being addressed as though they were five years old.
"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!" Students exchanged looks at this; some of them were barely concealing grins.
"I'll be her friend as long as I don't have to borrow that cardigan," Parvati whispered to Lavender, and both of them lapsed into silent giggles.
Professor Umbridge cleared her throat again ("Hem, hem"), but when she continued, some of the breathiness had vanished from her voice. She sounded much more businesslike and now her words had a dull learned-by-heart sound to them.
"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."
Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back. Professor McGonagall's dark eyebrows had contracted so that she looked positively hawklike, and Harry distinctly saw her exchange a significant glance with Professor Sprout as Umbridge gave another little "Hem, hem" and went on with her speech.
"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."
Harry found his attentiveness ebbing, as though his brain was slipping in and out of tune. The quiet that always filled the Hall when Dumbledore was speaking was breaking up as students put their heads together, whispering and giggling. Over at the Ravenclaw table, Cho Chang was chatting animatedly with her friends.
A few seats along from Cho, Luna Lovegood had got out The Quibbler again. Meanwhile, at the Hufflepuff table, Ernie Macmillan was one of the few still staring at Professor Umbridge, but he was glassy-eyed and Harry was sure he was only pretending to listen in an attempt to live up to the new prefect's badge gleaming on his chest.
Umbridge did not seem to notice the restlessness of her audience. Harry had the impression that a full-scale riot could have broken out under her nose and she would have plowed on with her speech. The teachers, however, were still listening very attentively, and Hermione seemed to be drinking in eveṣry word Umbridge spoke, though judging by her expression, they were not at all to her taste.
"...because some changes will be for the better, while others will come, in the fullness of time, to be recognized as errors of judgment. Meanwhile, some old habits will be retained, and rightly so, whereas others, outmoded and outworn, must be abandoned. Let us move forward, then, into a new era of openness, effectiveness, and accountability, intent on preserving what ought to be preserved, perfecting what needs to be perfected, and pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."
She sat down. Dumbledore clapped. The staff followed his lead, though Harry noticed that several of them brought their hands together only once or twice before stopping. A few students joined in, but most had been taken unawares by the end of the speech, not having listened to more than a few words of it, and before they could start applauding properly, Dumbledore had stood up again.
"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her. "Now — as I was saying, Quidditch tryouts will be held . . ."
Harry turned to Hermione and said one word. "Summarize."
"The ministry is interfering at Hogwarts," Hermione replied simply.
Harry snorted. "Tell me something I don't know."
1st September 1995
Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts
Whispers and a variety of looks ranging from fear to hostility were thrown at Harry's way as he made his way to the Gryffindor tower.
He, of course, ignored them all.
The Gryffindor common room looked as welcoming as ever, a cozy circular tower room full of dilapidated squashy armchairs and rickety old tables. A fire was crackling merrily in the grate and a few people were warming their hands before going up to their dormitories; on the other side of the room Fred and George Weasley were pinning something up on the noticeboard. Harry waved good night to them and headed straight for the door to the boys' dormitories; he was not in much of a mood for talking at the moment. Neville followed him.
Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan had reached the dormitory first and were in the process of covering the walls beside their beds with posters and photographs. They had been talking as Harry pushed open the door but stopped abruptly the moment they saw him.
"Good Evening," he greeted smoothly, moving across to his own trunk and opening it.
"Hey, Harry," said Dean, who was putting on a pair of pajamas in the West Ham colors. "Good holiday?"
"Not bad," Harry replied. "You?"
"Yeah, it was okay," chuckled Dean. "Better than Seamus's anyway, he was just telling me."
Harry raised his eyebrow at the boy.
"Why, what happened, Seamus?" Neville asked as he placed his Mimbulus mimbletonia tenderly on his bedside cabinet.
Seamus did not answer immediately; he was making rather a meal of ensuring that his poster of the Kenmare Kestrels Quidditch team was quite straight. Then he said, with his back still turned to Harry, "Me mam didn't want me to come back."
Harry rolled his eyes already having spotted a sheep that was following the Daily Prophet. He wondered how long it would take for Seamus to eat his words when Voldemort was revealed.
"Let me guess… the Daily Prophet?" Harry said dryly. "She believes I am a… what was that… An attention-seeking liar with fame gone into my head and Dumbledore is a senile old fool who has gone bonkers."
Seamus looked up at him. "Yeah, something like that."
Harry rolled his eyes again. "And… what should I do in that regard?"
"Look... what happened that night of the third task?"
"I told you all what happened, months ago. Lord Voldemort used a ritual to return to his body and summoned his Death Eaters. I fought them before escaping."
"You expect me to believe that?" Seamus snorted.
"And you think the disappearance of fourteen upstanding purebloods on the day of the third task was a coincidence? Many of whom had pleaded the imperious?" Harry snorted back.
Seamus just sneered before turning to Ron who had just entered the room. "You believe all the rubbish he's come out with about You-Know-Who, do you, you reckon he's telling the truth?"
Ron raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I do!"
"Then you're mad too," said Seamus in disgust.
"Yeah? Well unfortunately for you, pal, I'm also a prefect!" said Ron, jabbing himself in the chest with a finger. "So unless you want detention, watch your mouth!"
Harry smirked as Seamus turned on his heel with a noise of contempt, vaulted into bed, and pulled the hangings shut with such violence that they were ripped from the bed and fell in a dusty pile to the floor.
"Anyone else's parents have a problem with me?" Harry asked.
"My parents are Muggles, mate," said Dean, shrugging. "They don't know nothing about no deaths at Hogwarts, because I'm not stupid enough to tell them."
"You don't know my mother, she'll weasel anything out of anyone!" Seamus snapped at him. "Anyway, your parents don't get the Daily Prophet, they don't know our headmaster's been sacked from the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards because he's losing his marbles —"
"My gran says that's rubbish," piped up Neville. "She says it's the Daily Prophet that's going downhill, not Dumbledore. She's canceled our subscription. We believe Harry," he said simply. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin.
"If you don't mind, I'll be sleeping now. Seamus, if you wish to cause problems with me, get out right now." Harry said before shutting his covers and raising a simple parseltongue ward to keep people away.
A moment later, he apparated to the Chamber of secrets without a single sound.
"All the best, Harry," Salazar said as he shrugged off his cloak before wearing his battle robes. He had worn his vest before he even left Grimmauld Place. "You will have to show power and ruthlessness to scare the house into submission. Pure power. I'll be watching."
"Of course."
"Make sure to lock wards once you enter. So, the word of what you are doing can't travel out and invoke the sanction before leaving the room."
"Alright," Harry said, picking up the time turner.
"All the best, dear," Helga said.
"Thank you both," Harry replied before turning the time-turner once, going back an hour. He removed the Time turner and kept it back in its place before applying an invisibility charm on himself apparating again, straight to the Slytherin Common room.